March 7.] 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
313 
open brass pan, called in their patois a “ basliin.” 
They put a very little water in it, about a large tca- 
cuplul, then the potatoes, and then two or three large 
cabbage-leaves arc laid on the top. This is placed 
on a low lire after breakfast, where it remains steam¬ 
ing slowly till dinner-time ; and beautiful is the sight 
when the leaves are removed, and the mealy potatoes 
bursting from the clean brown skins appear done to 
perfection. How often in rambling excursions 
through that lovely island, has a dinner of these fine 
vegetables, with a rasher of bacon, been eaten in one 
of its exquisitely clean cottages—and a more excel¬ 
lent meal need never be desired. I have known 
many attempts made to persuade the English cot¬ 
tager to follow a better plan, but always without suc¬ 
cess. When articles of food are few, does it not seem 
of consequence to prepare them in the best and most 
profitable way ? No more fire is required in the one 
case than in the other—no more trouble or expense; 
yet in go the poor potatoes day after day, swallowed 
up in a saucepan brimful of water, in spite of all that 
can be said. 
It is a remarkable circumstance, that among the 
allotments in my neighbourhood, where the potato 
disease prevailed to a great extent, one or two of the 
cottagers were singularly exempt from its attack. In 
the case of one tenant in particular it was very strik¬ 
ing ; on each side of his allotment the crops, in 
common with those of the other cottagers, totally or 
partially failed, but the potatoes on his land never 
failed; and he has told me that since the disease has 
been known, he has never lost more than a bushel 
out of any one crop, and the two first years not 
more than half that quantity. Last year, his strip 
of ground still yielded its usual supply of line healthy 
roots, but it will never again gladden his eyes, and 
furnish his winter store. He is at this moment 
closing a life of hard labour, and joyfully awaiting the 
summons to a better world. He has often assured 
me that his seed, and his mode of tillage, were the 
same as his neighbours in all material points. He 
loved his land dearly, and cultivated it with the ut¬ 
most care and neatness; creeping down to enjoy the 
sight of it long after liis infirmities disabled him 
from work. But he used to acknowledge, with tears 
of gratitude, the mercy of God who spared the fruits 
of his ground when others withered and died; and he 
devoutly gave God all the glory. 
It is cheering and delightful to see a devotional spirit 
in the poor. All classes and all professions depend 
equally on God; for His hand only withholds them, 
moment by moment, from destruction; but the humble 
tiller of the ground, the poor, hard-working labourer, 
seems to stand peculiarly close to the outspread band 
of God. Between the soil “ wet with the dews of 
heaven,” blessed and made fruitful by “ the Lord who 
giveth the increase,” and the hand that plants and 
sows, there is no intermediate agent; it seems as if 
the agricultural labourer worked, as it were, band 
to hand with the Lord of heaven and earth. This 
thought should give the poor man a double interest 
in our eyes, and. a solemn one in bis own. He should 
walk, as well as work, closely with God. A copious 
blessing is promised to him who fears God and keeps 
His commandments—who “ keepeth the sabbath from 
polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any 
evil.” If the cottager would consider this, and search 
the Scriptures daily to hear what the Word of the 
Lord reveals, he would not the less diligently plough, 
and thrash, and labour for his bread—lie would not 
the less enjoy his lowly roof and humble fare, or be 
deprived of any of the lawful gains and pleasures of 
his self-denying life: but he would be blessed in his 
person, in bis family, in his basket and bis store; his 
life would be full of peace, and his hope full of im¬ 
mortality! And let us remember, that the poor and 
the rich are alike included in the blessing and the 
threatening of the Lord—the poor shall not escape, 
nor shall the rich be spared : “ there is no respect 
of persons with God !” 
HEATING OF HOTHOUSES. 
No. II. 
HOT WATER APPARATUS. 
Resuming again the subject of hothouse boilers, 
1 think I said sufficient condemnatory of all those 
toy-looking things which we have so often urged upon 
us as models of economy, in the way of fuel, &o. 
We must now consider what description of boiler is 
best adapted for the required purpose, as well as other 
particulars regarding its fixing, &c., &c. 
11 is a well-known maxim, that the greater the surface 
of boiler exposed to the action of the fire, the quicker 
it is likely to heat (hence the many varieties we have 
all aiming at that object), but that rule, like many 
others, is liable to exceptions, and unless the fire 
burn briskly, it is vain to think of it soon heating the 
apparatus; and if many intricacies impede its pro¬ 
gress, it will not burn freely ; consequently, the shape 
of a boiler ought to be so qualified as not to oppose 
too many obstacles in the way of its ascent; yet, at 
the same time it ought not to escape out at the chimney 
without having performed the duties required of it. 
There are several modifications of the old square 
boiler, more or less arched underneath, called by the 
different names of tile-backed, ridge or saddle-backed, 
and differing very widely in their capacity. The latest 
or most improved, being on the under side a semi¬ 
circular arch of perhaps 18 inches in height, and 
somewhat less in width, while the top or outer plate 
of the boiler is of a similar shape, leaving the spa.ee 
between the two about 0 inches in depth ; the in¬ 
terior height of the arch is ample room for fire, which 
is fed in by the door, as all fires ought to be; and as it 
will be seen the top and both sides are exposed to its 
action, independent of its being carried round it 
afterwards, that wo may fairly suppose that tire to do 
its duty without wasting any material portion of its 
heat. A boiler of this description properly fixed, 
and subject to certain regulations we shall just now 
mention, will be most likely to serve the amateur's pur¬ 
pose : its simplicity, ease in attending to, and not 
liable to get deranged, are strong recommendations in 
its favour ; and one I had the management of for some 
years never once deceived me, that I can recollect of. 
Nevertheless, there is another very good acting boiler, 
something in shape like a tumbler glass, deeply fluted 
at the sides, called, I think, Burbidge and Healey’s 
boiler, that I have found to do very well also. Every¬ 
thing depends on the arrangement of the fire; the 
shape of the boiler being only a secondary con 
sideration. We may therefore sum up by remarking, 
that whatever description of boiler you select, by all 
means let the fire-box be sufficiently capacious—it is 
false economy to be told you must have the space so 
confined, that the coke, or whatever you burn, should 
always be touching the bottom of the boiler; we 
grant the heat imparted may be greater, but it is at a 
sad sacrifice of time ; the fire burning so indifferently, 
so often requiring to be looked at, and at nights there 
is not room to put sufficient fuel on to serve the 
number of hours which it ought to do, that the little 
saving there may be in firing in the one case, is lost 
in a tenfold manner by the extra trouble it gives. 
